Ding Song Chopping Table Tennis Part 1

Ding Song is a former male Chinese table tennis player famous for his eccentric modern defensive style. As a defensive player, he is legendary for his unreasonably frequent and powerful counterattacks, almost as aggressive as other offensive players, which he combined with oddly spinning chops just like other choppers.
He is best known for having defeated Peter Karlsson in the men's team final of the World Table Tennis Championships in 1995, thereby securing China's victory. He also made it to the Men's Singles semifinals before eventually losing to teammate Kong Linghui. During his career he won two gold medals with the team and one bronze medal in Singles at the World Table Tennis Championships. He retired from the Chinese team after the 1997 World Table Tennis Championships.
After playing in German leagues for a few years, Ding Song returned to China in 2003 and played in the China Table Tennis Super League until 2007. He also entered Shanghai Jiao Tong University in 2006, majoring in human resource management. In June 2009 he received a bachelor's degree, and started working at SJTU as the coach of the university's team.
During this interview he explains in great detail what is needed from a chopper to compete effectively in contemporary table tennis.
Part 1:
- How and when he started playing table tennis & why it is impossible to start as a chopper (0:00-1:18)
- How to combine various aspects of different players into one advanced, "the perfect modern chopper" (1:18-4:39)
- The importance of an innovative mind, a good foundation, a good receive and consistency for a good chopper (4:39-9:04)
- What rubbers suit choppers, how it affects their game and what rubbers he used for what reason and why (9:04-13:07)
- How he trained and why it is so important for a chopper to train hard, how to effectively train for a long rally & how important it is to have a good sparring partner (13:07-15:35)
- How the faster speed and other factors are making table tennis a chopper unfriendly environment (15:35-17:15)
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[@weixianng]

Just for everyone's reference, when he references "Zhu Shihe" at 3:15 he's actually talking about Joo Se Hyuk

[@RhonnelKForde]

I was thinking the same thing.

[@HungPham-nf5ur]

Thank you for the clarification! I thought that sounds similar to someone I should know haha

[@elwachinmanda]

We need more choppers and penhold players back in the scene like the in old days :(

[@unpoulet6859]

Thanks ITTF it was so interesting. I’m a chopper myself and I think the same way of this man. I will always continue to defend! I excited for the part 2.

[@weixianng]

Wow and it's crazy that he came across Tomokazu Harimoto's mother all the way back in the day!

[@johnnybowe]

I saw Chen Xin Hua play against an Irish team in 1987 at UCD Dublin. He was a superb defender and attacked also. Great deception on service.

[@eczavyr2899]

Useful! I'd wish he could coach me 15hrs a day so I can become a professional player :(

[@yshrn___]

So much to to absorb from this!

[@sjjapp]

I think it would be really great for the sport if a defender can become no 1 in the world and win the world championships again (Richard Bergmann was yhr last to do it, if I'm correct, but thst was befire the sponge era). Problem is, for a defender to do thst, as thr interview covers, something has to be done to truly modernize chopping so that is is on par with the attacking style.

[@reche0]

非常诚恳啊

[@glorybackhk]

削球手里面我喜欢朱世赫，马特也不错，还有一个日本选手村山雄斗我也挺喜欢，其他没啥感觉。

[@MiracoMango]

村松

[@gabraham12]

Translator please.

[@ChieuSachTang]

So i guess that a upcoming perfect mordern chopper should be an european player. Why? Because he would have a strong body, be consistent and good at counterattack.

[@visiteurdelespace]

First!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@visiteurdelespace]

First!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!